Taxus plant named ‘SMNTHDPF’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Taxus  plant named ‘SMNTHDPF’, characterized by its upright and columnar plant form; freely branching habit requiring minimal pruning; dense and bushy appearance; bright green-colored leaves that maintain color throughout the seasons; and good landscape performance and hardiness.

Botanical designation: Taxus x media.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNTHDPF’.

CROSS-REFERENCED IN CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Taxus Plant Named ‘SMNTHDB’

Applicant: Timothy D. Wood

Filed: Concurrently with this application, having application Ser. No.16/602,660

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Taxusplant, botanically known as Taxus x media, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘SMNTHDPF’.

The new Taxus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create new Taxus plants with unique and attractive plantforms.

The new Taxus plant originated from an open-pollination in 2006 in GrandHaven, Mich. of Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent with an unknown selection of Taxus x media as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Taxus plant was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Taxus plant by softwood stem cuttingstaken in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since 2011 hasshown that the unique features of this new Taxus plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Taxus have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such astemperature and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘SMNTHDPF’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘SMNTHDPF’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofTaxus plant:

-   -   1. Upright and columnar plant form.    -   2. Freely branching habit requiring minimal pruning; dense and        bushy appearance.    -   3. Bright green-colored leaves that maintain color throughout        the seasons.    -   4. Good landscape performance and hardiness.

Plants of the new Taxus can be compared to plants of the female parent,‘Hicksii’, in plant shape as plants of the new Taxus are narrower andmore columnar than plants of ‘Hicksii’. In addition, plants of the newTaxus have darker green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Hicksii’.

Plants of the new Taxus can be compared to plants of Taxus x media‘SMNTHDC’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.16/350,983, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,795. Plants of the new Taxus differprimarily from plants of ‘SMNTHDC’ in plant shape as plants of the newTaxus are narrower than and not as broad as plants of ‘SMNTHDC’. Inaddition, plants of the new Taxus have darker green-colored leaves thanplants of ‘SMNTHDC’.

Plants of the new Taxus can also be compared to plants of Taxus x media‘SMNTHDB’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Patent application filedconcurrently, having application Ser. No. 16/602,660, in plant shape asoverall shape of plants of the new Taxus is columnar whereas overallshape of plants of ‘SMNTHDB’ is ball-shaped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Taxus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Taxus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 of 2) is a side perspectiveview of typical plants of ‘SMNTHDPF’ grown in containers in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich.;plants used in the photograph were two years old.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 of 2) is a side perspectiveview of a typical plant of ‘SMNTHDPF’ grown in an outdoor nursery inGrand Haven, Mich.; the plant used for the photograph was five yearsold.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the following observations and measurements were grownduring the summer in one-gallon containers in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. Plants were grown under culturalpractices typical of commercial Taxus plant production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C.and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants were two yearsold when the description was taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Taxus x media ‘SMNTHDPF’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Taxus x media,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood stem cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one month at temperatures            about 10° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About three months at            temperatures about 10° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,            substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;            relatively compact, upright and columnar plant form;            moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit requiring minimal            pruning; dense and bushy appearance; about ten lateral            branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 55 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 18 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 37 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong,            flexible. Aspect: Erect to about 15° from vertical. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, developing: Close to 143A. Color,            mature: Close to 174B.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 2.5 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:            Cuspidate. Base: Oblique. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:            Parallel. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 143A; venation, close to 143A; leaf            color is maintained throughout the seasons. Petioles:            Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 143A.        -   Flower description.—To date, flower development has not been            observed on plants of the new Taxus.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Taxus have    not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to    Taxus plants.-   Landscape performance: Plants of the new Taxus have been observed to    have good landscape performance and to be tolerant temperatures    ranging from about −32° C. to about 36° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Taxus plant named ‘SMNTHDPF’ asillustrated and described.